Buffet-server.



A. M. BLACKWELL.

BUFFET SERVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29| 1913.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915. )6!

I/Witnesses:

anion ADELAIDE MELISSA BLAGKWELL, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

BUFFET-SERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 31, 1915.

Application filed August 29, 1913. Serial No. 787,306.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADELAIDE M. BLACK- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefullmprovement in Buffet- Servers, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. 7

This invention relates to buffet servers of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent Reissue No. 13825, dated Nov. 17 1914. a

The present improvements comprehend, as distinguished froma spring ring adapted to embrace the side of the cup, as contemplated in the patent referred to, the provision of a base or rest upon which a cup may be placedand without any tendency to grip the cup and interfere with its ready removal from its support.

The invention also embraces the formation of a cup support adapted to accommodate alateral cup handle, preferably by contouring the rest or base to permit the cup to seat firmly thereon without interference from the cup handle, as distinguished from splitting a ring, asin the instance of the patent referred to: and also in the positioning of the handle receiving portion so that the cup handle may project at right angles to the supporting stand of therest or base, enabling the positioning of thecup support at. the back of the platewith the handle projecting toward the right thereof in alnatural and easily accessible position for the user when engaging the handle to remove or replace the cup'in the attachment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the cup supportingring or base of a suitable flexible materialadapted to conform itself to the shape ofthe base of the cup, or capable of being bent to the shape desired. r e i For the sake of imparting a better understanding of the present improvements, I will illustrate in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereofseveral preferred embodiments of the invention, the details in the construction and arrangement of the parts of which will be clear upon an inspection of such drawings in connection with the specific description hereinafter contained.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isva side view of the improved attachment applied to a plate, the latter being shown in section, Fig. 2 1s a rear view, Fig. 3is'a front view, and F 1g. 4 is a bottom view, and Fig. 5 is a per spective View of a modified construction. I Referring more specifically to the drawngs, wherein like characters designatecorresponding parts in the several views, A represents the bottom of the usual plate, B the projecting bead orrib around the bottom, and C the upwardly flaring rim of the plate.

-D- represents the conventional cup, "al- I though 'a's will be readily understood, the special stylefof cup is not material herein save as the holder shall be shaped to accord with the cup in connection with which it is intended to be used. 1

E represents what might be termed the members of a two part standard adapted to project upwardly from the" rim of the plate and carrying the rest or seat'for the cup,

the lower ends of the upright portions E turning inwardly over the rim of the plate as at e thence outwardly to overlie the rim as at e and downwardly around the rim andbeneath the plate as at 6 the terminal portions being connected together as at c and having grooves ebent therein to engage over the head or rib 13. Preferably the parts justdescribed are formed of metal of sufliciently springy nature to embrace and firmlyengage theplate to securely interlock the attachment and plate together. 'From the upper ends of themembers E a cuprest or seat is supported in a manner to occupy a position overhanging the plate (Fig. 1) the seat or rest comprising fiat metallic bands F and G, of approximately crescent-shape as shown, the bands F being integrally connected together as at f and to thestandard members E as at f, and the,

bands F and G being integrally connected at forward portions of the former as at g.

Thebands F and G are curved longitudinally to conform to the general surface curvature ,of the base portion of the cup as will be obvious, and the use of the flat metal and the formation of the seat in the nature of a rest or base upon which the cup may be seated, will prevent any binding action between the cup and its support, as distinguished from devices acting to grip the cup by yieldable engagement with the upper portions or sides of the same.

The crescent, or downwardly bowed formation of the bands F afford side spaces H for the accommodation of the cup handle d when placed in the rest as shown by dotted lines at right angles to the uprights E, while the space J between said uprights E will accommodate the cup handle when placed in the position shown in full lines in the drawings. The band G connecting the bands F not only serve as anadditional support for the cup, but overcome any tendencyof the bands F to spread unduly apart.

The device as described in the foregoing may be formed of any suitable metal capable of performing the functions intended, either rigid or flexible, although in some instances it is my purpose to form the bands F of a flexible material which may shape itself, or be shaped to correspond to different surface configurations of various cups, within, of course, reasonable limits.

As compared to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the first four figures of the drawing, the device illustrated in Fig. 5 has but a single upright or standard E formed integrally with the supporting bands F, and one of the bands F is bent outwardly slightly horizontally as at K to form a vertical recess within the band to receive the lower portion of a cup handle where the same extends substantiallyto the bottom of the cup, and so that said handle cannot interfere with the proper firm seating of the cup on its rest, and with the handleoccupying a position at right angles to the single standard represented at E in this view. The lower end of the standard is preferably split so as to provide the separated plate engaging members L adapted to engage the rim of the plate at relatively widely separated points, as in the former instance, to overcome any tendency of the attachment to tip edgewise, the engagement with the beaded plate being the same here as previously set forth.

I have herein disclosed several embodiments or forms of devices illustrative of my present improvements, but it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that the inven-' tion is capable of embodiment in many other forms and shapes, as may be in keeping with the hereto appended claims.

I also desire it understood that where, herein, I have specifically referredto .a

i plate and to a cup, the latter will contemplate any equivalent receptacle or device, and the former will embrace not only a plate as technically known, but any suitable base or member, in connection with which my improved device may be employed.

It will be appreciated that by forming a supporting means for the cup in the nature of an open frame, so to speak, that is, withouta bottom portion adapted to directly engage the base of the cup, I am enabled to accommodate cups of various configurations and difl'ering in size withinreasonable limits, the idea of the supporting frame being to embrace the sides of the bowl of the cup, permittingthe bottom of the cup to be free to depend therefrom to such a degree as will enable the said sides of the bowl cup to directly rest upon and be supported by said open frame.

I claim:

1. A cup support of the character described comprising a support, a cup bowl engaging part thereon adapted to removably receive a cup, said engaging part being adapted to substantially encompass said bowl circumferentially thereof and including side members, one of which is dipped downwardly intermediate of its ends, and both of which are curved lengthwise thereof to combine in constituting a rest for contact with the sides of the bowl of the cup, and the depressed member being formed to present a vertical recess to accommodate a lateral cup handle, substantially as described.

2. A cup support of the character described comprising a support, a cup-bowl engaging part thereon adapted to removably receive a cup and from which the bottom of the bowl of the cup may freely suspend, said engaging part being adapted to substantially encompass said bowl circumferentially thereof and including approximately crescent shaped side members dipped downwardly intermediate of their ends and also curved lengthwise thereof to constitute a rest curved'longitudinally and depressed vertically for contact with the under sides of the bowl of the cup, the high forward ends of the side members being connected together, and the corresponding rear ends being connected to the support, substantially as described.

3 A cup support of the character descrlbed comprising a support, a cup bowl engaging part thereon adapted to removably receive a cup and from which the bottom of the bowl of the cup may freely suspend, said engaging part being adapted to substantially encompass said bowl circumferentially thereof and including approximately crescent shaped side members dipped downwardly intermediate of their ends to accommodate lateral cup handles projecting laterally in either direction over said dipped ends being connected to the support, sub- 10 portions and the side member being also stantially as described.

curved lengthwise thereof to constitute a In testimony whereof I affix my signature rest curved longitudinally and dfpressled in presence of two witnesses.

Vertically for contact with the un er si es of the bowl of the cup, the high forward ADELAIDE MELISSA BLAOKWELL' ends of the side members being adapted to Witnesses: engage around the forward portion of the SEx'roN SWANSON, bowl of the cup and the corresponding rear F. L. GWINN.

Copies of this patent may'be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

